Pterosaurs Still Living

PSL Identification Evaluation: Question "A"

Live Pterosaur Seen by Duane Hodgkinson
in Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea

Duane Hodgkinson, of Montana, called what he had seen in 1944
a “pterodactyl.” He contacted Jonathan Whitcomb, in 2004, and agreed
to fill out a questionnaire; this proved helpful to ropen investigators. Later that year, Whitcomb (encouraged by the eyewitness reports
of Hodgkinson and others) traveled to Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea, and searched for the bioluminescent ropen. Garth Guessman and
David Woetzel followed Whitcomb to the island, later in 2004, but sightings were only brief and at a distance (one by Whitcomb's interpreter
and one by Woetzel).

The questionnaire was administered, by Jonathan Whitcomb, to Duane Hodgkinson, in August of 2004, by mail. The
results were received by Whitcomb, by mail, within a few days. Question “A”

was to determine the comparative length of the appendage
that D.H. reported being at the back of the head of the creature he
saw near Finschhafen, New Guinea (now the country of Papua New
Guinea) in 1944. The question given to him was "On this page only, which is closest to what you saw:"

Hodgkinson chose sketch "04"
(longest appendage) and volunteered: “While in flight the head was not inclined down as depicted - was more streamlined with the neck”
- This seems to indicate that the creature was flying with the appendage closely over its back, parallel or nearly parallel to the
neck.

All other aspects of the appearance of these drawings are not to be taken as similar to the actual appearance of the "pterodadctyl"
reported by D.H. (Sketches were not drawn by D.H.) Each page is meant to gain better knowledge of one aspect of the appearance
of the live pterosaur or “pterodactyl.” This page "A" only relates to head-appendage length.